Related resources for this article

Located on the southeastern coast of China, the province of Fujian (or Fukien) lies opposite the island of Taiwan. It is bordered by the provinces of Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the southwest and by the East China Sea to the northeast, the Taiwan Strait to the east, and the South China Sea to the southeast. One of the smaller Chinese provinces, it has an area of some 47,500 square miles (123,100 square kilometers). Fuzhou is the capital and largest city; other major cities include Xiamen (Amoy) and Quanzhou. All three are coastal cities. Many Chinese people who live overseas were born in Fujian, and most native Taiwanese have ancestral roots there.

The picturesque Fujian region is distinguished by wooded hills and winding streams, orchards, and terraced rice fields. Nearly all of Fujian is mountainous. The scenic Wuyi Mountains, reaching a height of about 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) in western Fujian, form a natural barrier between the coastal regions and the interior of China. Most of the province has a mild, humid subtropical climate.

Jon Naustdaslid/Shutterstock.com

The major crops grown in Fujian are sugarcane, peanuts (groundnuts), citrus fruit, rice, and tea. Livestock raising and fishing also are important, and the extensive forests provide valuable timber. Fujian is rich in minerals such as coal, iron, copper, gold, and kaolin. Manufactures include iron and steel, cement, paper, electronics, textiles, plastics, and chemicals. Special economic zones were set up in Fujian in the late 20th century to develop light industries producing goods for export.

Historically, the Fujian area was called Min for the Min tribes that lived there during the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 bc). The basic boundaries of the province were established during the Southern Song Dynasty (ad 1127–1279). It developed as an agricultural region as well as a center of shipbuilding and commerce for overseas and coastal trade until the Ming Dynasty banned maritime commerce in the 1400s. In 1842 Fuzhou and Xiamen were opened to international trade, however, and Fuzhou became a major seaport. During World War II the Japanese occupied both cities. In 1949 the communists took control of the province. Population (2010) 36,894,216.

It’s here: the NEW Britannica Kids website!

We’ve been busy, working hard to bring you new features and an updated design. We hope you and your family enjoy the NEW Britannica Kids. Take a minute to check out all the enhancements!

The same safe and trusted content for explorers of all ages.

Accessible across all of today's devices: phones, tablets, and desktops.

Improved homework resources designed to support a variety of curriculum subjects and standards.

A new, third level of content, designed specially to meet the advanced needs of the sophisticated scholar.

Want to see it in action?

Start a free trial

E-mail

To

From

Sender NamePlease enter your name.

Sender EmailPlease enter a valid email address.

Translate this page

Choose a language from the menu above to view a computer-translated version of this page. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. Britannica does not review the converted text.

After translating an article, all tools except font up/font down will be disabled. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar.

Sign up for our Britannica for Parents newsletter for expert advice on parenting in the 21st century!

Thank you for subscribing!

Be on the look out for the Britannica for Parents newsletter to deliver insightful facts for the family right to your inbox.